Writing your dating profile is probably equal parts exciting and equal parts “what on earth am I supposed to say here?” Good news—we get that. Today, we’d like to help. In this article, we’re going to walk through each section of your profile and help you figure out exactly what you should (and shouldn’t) say.

And just in case it’s not clear, why is this all important? Your dating profile is the way you share with your potential matches what makes you—you. If you do a great job of showcasing what makes you awesome, you’re going to get more messages from potential matches. And, on that same token, if you don’t quite get your profile dialed in to really showcase you, it may cause you to miss out on matches.

With that said, let’s get into the tips and resources to help you write the perfect dating profile.

None of this matters if this isn’t true…

Real quick before we dive in, none of the tips and tricks we’re going to share to master your dating profile will matter if one thing isn’t true. If you’re not using a quality dating app with quality singles who match what you’re looking for, you can have the greatest profile on planet Earth, but it will do you no good.

Make sure you take the time to find a dating app that meets these criteria so you’re newly minted (and amazing) profile can bear fruit. If you’re looking for secular options, there are plenty of options to choose from. If you happen to be looking for a Christian dating app, we’d highly recommend checking out Higher Bond. It’s an incredible space with robust profiles where you have plenty of room to show off who you are and meet that special someone.

Now that we have that squared away, let’s talk about writing your dating profile.

Overarching Themes and Tips

Before we dive into each of the individual sections, there are some overarching things that we need to share. These tips, tricks, and themes apply to all of the sections of your profile. They’re important, so don’t skip them!

Honesty Above All—Including Exaggeration

It probably goes without saying that honesty is something you should hold in high regard in all aspects of life. But because we know temptation is real, we wanted to take a minute and just touch on the topic.

Avoid sharing something that isn’t true or exaggerating something about yourself. While lying or exaggerating might get you more messages, you’re setting yourself up for failure. At some point, the person you’re talking to will learn the truth or the level of truth to your claims. The second they see they were misled, it’s most likely going to be the end of that relationship.

Do yourself and everyone else on the app a big favor and keep things truthful. There’s nothing wrong with framing yourself in a positive light and pointing out the positive things about you; just don’t cross the line of lying or exaggerating.

Safety is Key

Some (not all) dating apps work hard to create a safe environment devoid of people who don’t have your best interests at heart. Unfortunately, no matter how hard an app works, there are always going to be a few people who could slip through the cracks.

Because of this, it’s important that you approach your dating profile with safety at the forefront of your mind. Here are a few important tips to remember when creating your profile:

• Don’t share personally identifiable information. – This includes things like where you work, where you live, your kids’ names, your last name, and anything else that might share a bit more about you than you probably should—at least at first. For example, if you work at a bank, cool! You can say “I work at a bank,” instead of saying “I work at First National on Jones Street,” or having a picture of you out front of that bank.
• Don’t give out your contact information. – Things like your phone number, your email address, and even your socials are things that you should give out on a one-on-one basis after you’ve talked with someone for a while. Additionally, many of these things we recommend keeping to yourself until after you’ve met someone in person and are comfortable sharing it!

Effort Matters

If you’re expecting to knock out the greatest dating profile in just a few minutes, you may be off to a rough start. While writing a dating profile isn’t the hardest thing in the world, it does take effort and time. We can say this another way.

You’re going to get out of it what you put into it.

Plan to spend some time really dialing in your profile. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but a little effort is going to go a long way.

Your Dating Profile About Me Section

Writing about yourself can be tough and feel weird if it’s something you’ve never done before. Additionally, it can be hard to know what counts as bragging, and what counts as just showing off the best sides of you.

Rest assured, we’re here to help! While everyone’s About Me section will be different, there are some great tips that can help you know what to say. Let’s get into it!

Start With a Greeting

Here’s a really simple tip that we think should be in every About Me. Start off with a positive greeting. Something like “Hey!” or “Hi there!” or “Hi!” will work great. What this does is set a positive tone to the rest of your About Me, which people love. By personalizing it with a greeting, you make sure you get off on the right foot.

Introduce Yourself

Yes, we know that your name already shows up on your profile in another spot. The reason we recommend sharing it again is to further personalize your About Me for people reading it. Here’s what that could look like with the greeting from the previous step as well.

• Hey! My name is Sarah.
• Hey there! My name is Sarah. It’s nice to meet you!
• Hello! My name is Sarah, but most of my friends call me “Kicks”.

We’ll cover this more in a second, but please don’t share your last name here.

Share Some Interesting Things About You

After you’ve greeted and introduced yourself, it’s time to share some neat stuff about you. This is the area that your About Me is going to get super unique to you.

What we’re going to do is give you a big list of things you could share here. You do not have to use all of these (please don’t lol). What we recommend is selecting maybe 3-5 of these at most and sharing them on your profile.

• What you do for a living
• How long you’ve lived in the area
• What hobbies you like to do for fun
• If you have any pets
• What you’re passionate about
• Any sports you like to play
• Characteristics that describe you

Before we show you examples, there’s one way that you can make this better. After you share something from the list, add something interesting about it.

For example, instead of just saying “I work as an accountant,” say, “I work as an accountant because I’ve always loved numbers.” Or instead of “I’m passionate about reading the Bible,” you could say something like, “I’m passionate about reading the Bible because I feel like it helps me to get closer to God.” One more example—instead of just saying “I volunteer at such and such charity,” you could say something like, “I volunteer at such and such charity. I started doing it because I was shy and wanted to meet more people.”

This is the way you make sure your About Me doesn’t sound like a job resume or just a list of random facts. Instead, it shares things about you and goes a little deeper. It may take you a minute to think about the second part to add, but that’s okay. Think about what is most important or interesting, and share that!

With that said, here are a few examples that build on the earlier advice we shared.

• Hey! My name is Sarah. I work as an accountant, and I absolutely love my job. I’ve got two dogs who both think they are in charge. For fun on the weekends, I like to kayak and hike in the mountains. Being outside makes me feel alive and closer to God.
• Hi there! My name is Mike. I’m extremely passionate about music. I actually play guitar in a local band. For fun, I like to run, lift weights, and try new recipes. It’s always a struggle between staying healthy and being a foodie.

And that’s all there is to it! Take your time on this section, and do your best. Above all else, effort shows, even if you don’t see it. People who clearly show that they’re committed to this process and can put effort into something are people who are going to make great partners.

Things You Shouldn’t Do With Your About Me Section

Now that we’ve talked about what you should say and do in your About Me section, we want to talk about some no-no’s to avoid. Please pay close attention to these, as something might seem like a great idea to you, but it isn’t perceived by others that way. Mistakes here can drive away otherwise great matches.

• Don’t cross the line from sharing something interesting to bragging. – You can paint yourself in a great light, but don’t overdo it. For example, you can say, “I play competitive pickleball,” which is totally cool. But if you say something like, “I’m the best pickleball player in the state,” or “I have three pickleball championships and am one of the greatest,” it’s not going to come across great, even if it’s true. Be proud of what you do, but be modest.
• Don’t talk about past relationships or your exes. – While you may feel like this information is important to a potential match, it signals that you may have some unresolved issues from past relationships. You can share this information with someone in conversation, but putting it on your profile is not a great look.
• It’s best to avoid lists of what you’re not looking for. – For example, if you put on your profile that you “don’t want liars or cheaters sending you a message.” We wouldn’t want them messaging you either, but putting this is not going to do anything for you. It won’t stop the people that fit that bill from messaging you, but it will stop the honest good matches from messaging you because it, again, looks like there may be unresolved issues.
• Don’t get too personal. – The point of your About Me section is to tell a little bit about you without going too deep. Think about it this way. If it’s not something you’d openly share with someone you just met at a party or gathering, it has no business on your dating profile.
• Avoid being too generic. – One of the things we recommended you could share on your profile is characteristics that describe you. These are great, but be careful of being too generic. For example, if you say that you’re a nice person…cool. However, everyone would probably say they are a nice person, so this doesn’t say much about you. If you were to say you were loyal to a fault, compassionate about others, and a happy person all the time…that’s much more specific, and much more fruitful to put.
• Avoid things that may seem odd without explanation. – You may have quirks which make you unique, which is awesome! However, if it’s something someone might not understand properly without explanation, maybe consider leaving it off.

What I’m Looking For

If you’ve made it through the About Me section, take a minute to take a deep breath and pat yourself on the back! That’s the toughest of the sections, but the most important. If you made it this far, you did it!

On some dating apps like Higher Bond, you’ll have an additional section to share what you’re looking for.

If you’re using a dating app that doesn’t offer this profile feature, you can still write this information, but include it at the bottom of the About Me section.

First, let’s talk about the purpose of this section. The purpose of the What I’m Looking For section is to share some insight into the type of person you’re looking for.

So, what do you say here?

Well, share what you’re looking for, without getting too specific or exclusive. You can share things that are deal breakers, as well as things that are ideal but maybe not must haves. Be careful to distinguish between the two if you share both.

You can also share what shared interests or hobbies you’re looking for. Do remember, though, great relationships don’t always mean you like 100% of the same things, but there may be some that are important. We’ll give some examples in a few.

But before we give a few examples, we want to point out that this section doesn’t have to be very long. In fact, short is completely fine, as long as it showcases the things that are unique to you and what you’re looking for.

Here are a few examples of what this could look like:

• I’m looking for a man who is open to the fact that I have a few children from a past marriage. I also love spending time at the lake, so my ideal man should enjoy the outdoors.
• My ideal mate is a woman who takes her faith seriously and is looking to one day start a family. I don’t drink or smoke, so those are deal breakers for me. And if you happen to like good food, we’ll be perfect for each other!

Things You Shouldn’t Do With Your What I’m Looking for Section

Here are some super important tips of things to avoid here:

• Don’t chastise people for things you aren’t interested in. – It’s okay to know what you want! However, you don’t want to put down other people if they happen to do those things. It might be a big red flag to someone who would otherwise be a good match. For example, notice how in the above example they talked about how they don’t want to date someone who drinks or smokes—cool. However, what if they said it like this? “I don’t want to date anyone who drinks or smokes. That’s so gross. No thank you.” See how that might even turn someone away who fits what you’re looking for?
• Don’t overstate your wants as needs. – If you’d like to date someone who is over 6 feet tall, that’s okay. But if you put “Must be 6 feet tall” or “Looking for a man over 6 feet”, you will never get a message from anyone 5’ 11” or shorter. Be careful of overstating something here.
• Don’t be negative. – Avoid sounding like you’ll never find what you’re looking for or it’s a hopeless search.

What My Friends Say Section

Sadly, this is not a profile section with a lot of apps, but it is one you’ll find on Higher Bond. Again, if it’s not offered, it’s still something nice to add to the bottom of your profile.

This is a section of your profile where you can share some of the nice things your friends say about you. How do you fill out this section? Ask your friends! Here’s a great way to ask them.

“Hey! I’m working on filling out a dating profile on this new app. One of the sections they have is What My Friends Say About Me. Could you give me a 1-2 sentence quote that says something you like about me?”

That’s it! We’d recommend asking several friends and pick maybe the best 2-3 answers. Additionally, make sure you share them as if they are said by your friend.

For example, don’t change it to say, “I am a super happy person, who is always positive.” Leave it to say, “Sarah is a super happy person, who is always positive.”

And if you want to be funny, you can ask your mom or dad to share one too!

Some Closing Tips and Thoughts

Well, we’ve made it through writing a great dating profile! Before we send you on your way to get started or to wrap up what you’ve already done, we want to share a few closing thoughts and tips.

• Make sure to check for grammatical errors and spelling errors! It’s best to put your best food forward.
• Have a friend read your profile to make sure it comes across the way you mean for it to. Don’t give them any additional thoughts before they read it. You want to see how it will be when someone else reads it and you’re not there to explain things.
• Update your profile when it needs to be. You don’t have to change it all the time, but if information changes, keep it accurate.
• Spend some time and effort on this! We’ve said this a few times already, but we’re saying it again. This is the best way to put your best foot forward for your new potential matches.

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